Israel arrests 50 Palestinians, most of them Hamas members, in West Bank dragnet

By YAAKOV LAPPIN06/16/2014

Security forces arrested 50 Palestinians, most of them Hamas members, in the latest wave of raids across the West Bank in response to the kidnapping of three Israeli youths near Hebron on Thursday, a security source said.

Raids are taking place from northern Samaria to southern Judea, but most of the security activity is taking place in Judea, the source said, adding that searches and arrests are "based on intelligence."

The IDF's operation to track down the missing Israelis is "getting deeper," the source stated. The IDF, meanwhile, continues to maintain a closure over southern Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

Overnight, the IDF encountered some disturbances, and arrested rioters armed with "simple weapons," the source said.